AN AIRPORT in France closed this afternoon when a dramatic high-speed police car chase took place across the runway ending in a car crash.

France experienced a day of travel chaos today when Lyon Saint-Exupéry airport was forced to close down for several hours and cancel over 80 flights when a car smashed through the perimeter fence of the major French hub and drove onto the runway.

A dramatic viral video of the incident captures the moment the vehicle hurtled across a field at the airport - sending a cloud of dust into the air - and drove near the runway with police in hot pursuit.

Before breaking into the airport, the unnamed suspect had driven up the motorway the wrong way for several miles and caused multiple accidents.

He then smashed into a toll booth and charged across airport land chased by 20 police and gendarmerie cars, motorcyclists and a helicopter.

Around 4,000-5,000 passengers are estimated to have been affected by the incident.

Express.co.uk has contacted Air France for comment on disrupted flights today.

According to Flightradar24’s Twitter, an easyJet plane will be the first to land after the airport reopened. The airline only had to cancel one UK flight during the incident.

A spokesperson for the Rhône prefecture said of the incident: “Around 10.30 this morning an individual travelling in the wrong direction on the A43 motorway was pursued by members of the motorway CRS (police) and a helicopter from the National Gendarmerie.

“Arriving at the Lyon-Bron airport, he forced his way through the security barriers before heading towards the airport of Lyon Saint-Exupéry where again, he forced the security barriers with his vehicle.